Hope and Power
by Lt. Basil
Summary: Galen wasn't ready for a padawan. Luke Skywalker was mildly annoying, to put it lightly, and he didn't want to deal with him. It didn't help that Luke wasn't too keen on being trained by him, either. This wasn't going to end well. Rated for violence in later chapters. Pairings: Galen/Juno, maybe Han/Leia. Semi-AU, takes place between ANH and TESB.
1. Evacuation

**A/N: Okay, before anyone complains, I will say it loud and clear: I DO NOT SHIP LUKE/LEIA! That's wrong in so many ways… however, since this takes place before Episode VI and Luke doesn't know that Leia is his sister yet, I included the fact that yes, Luke DOES have a crush on her. Sorry. I don't like it either, but it's just a fact. **

**Now that that is cleared up; DISCLAIMER: Star Wars is the property of George Lucas, LucasArts, and Walt Disney Pictures. I OWN NOTHING.**

**This is sort of an AU since I haven't read many expanded universe books, and none that take place between episodes IV and V. I also noticed that Luke seems to know how to use the Force pretty well in Episode V, while he knew virtually nothing about it in Episode IV. That, plus my obsession with The Force Unleashed, created this. **

**Now after that painfully long author's note; ON TO THE STORY!**

_Chapter 1: Evacuation_

"_Attention: Security breach. All units to assigned stations. Attention: Security breach. All units to assigned stations."_

Luke Skywalker ran as fast as he could, struggling to reach Yavin's south entrance, where he was assigned. Other rebels sprinted alongside him, the same thoughts in their minds; get to their posts and protect the base. Above Luke's head, the shockwave of an explosion sent a power line loose, making sparks and smoke erupt from it as it was jarred out of place. Ducking his head, the boy glanced around, making sure that he had a firm grip on his blaster and that his lightsaber was secure. Both of them had gotten him out of many a sticky situation; he wasn't about to lose track of either of them.

Activating his comlink, Luke asked, "Captain Solo, are you there?"

Han's voice beeped clearly from the speaker. "Here you loud and clear, kid."

"Is the _Falcon _secure?"

"Are Stormtroopers a bunch of teenaged ninnies with lousy aim?" Luke rolled his eyes.

"And the princess?"

The young Jedi-in-training could practically _hear _his pilot shrug. "Beats me. Probably off doing whatever princess-y things her royal highness does. You know, fixing her hair, putting on make-up, blowing Imperials to smithereens with thermal detonators…"

"Find her and make sure she's safe!" Luke snapped, angrily turning the com off. "What an idiot…"

"_Attention: Security breach. All units to assigned stations."_

Luke and the crowd of other rebels continued to sprint through the corridors, struggling to get to their posts in time. Panic was beginning to show in their eyes and postures – fear of pain, of death, or worse – utter eradication. Secretly, the young Skywalker shared their dread, but he did not show it. Being of high rank (captain at this point), he was expected to remain calm at all times, to stand as a symbol of hope for the men who served under him. Losing his composure was not an option today.

Ahead of him, the steel wall of the tunnel exploded in a shower of debris. Almost instinctively, Luke threw his hands out in front of him, calling on the Force to stop them from piling on the men. His attempt was weak and feeble, only managing to slow down the trajectory of the projectiles. Several of the soldiers were brought down by flying metal fragments. Wincing, Luke swore aloud, mentally cursing himself. Carefully, he used his power (still shaky and weak) to lift the metal panels off of the rebels.

Two of them were dead, six more badly injured. Luke bit his lip, fighting back a scream. _What is wrong with me?! _A few of the other soldiers noticed the strained expression on his face. "Captain?"

Shaking himself out of his misery, Luke replied, "Get the injured to the med bays. A-and leave the others…" Bile rose up in his throat. _Hold it together, Luke…_

Saluting, several rebels set to work. For a few minutes, the others stood by grimly, watching their comrades get carried away while mourning the loss of the dead men. The captain bowed his head respectfully, pain weighing heavily in his chest. Loss after loss… how much more of this could he take? It was getting unbearable.

"_Attention: Security breach. All units to assigned stations."_

"Move out," Luke declared grimly, motioning for those remaining to follow him forward. "To the south entrance." Without further comment, the entire battalion set out after him

XXX

"_Commander? What is it?"_

"_There's… a disturbance in the Force. Death… destruction… Yavin Base is being attacked!"_

"_What? Are you certain?"_

"_Yes! The princess is in danger! Everyone is in danger!"_

"_We must be prepared to relieve them! Assemble a relief squad at once!"_

"_A noble effort, Admiral, but you won't reach them in time."_

"_What should we do, then?"_

"_Be ready for them. That's all we _can _do."_

XXX

"Fourth wave, coming in!" The line of rebels was a thin, pitiful defense, and all of them, stormtrooper and rebel soldier alike, knew it. Vader's men were pressing this to their advantage; wave after wave of troopers tore through several man-made holes that had sprouted in the wall, guns blazing. Dozens of rebels fell as blaster fire filled the air. Ducking low, Luke carefully replaced the power pack on his blaster with a fresh one.

"That's my last battery," he muttered darkly. "Let's make it count." Raising himself up partway, he fired off several shots at the troopers before he had to dive to the side in order to avoid being shot in the head by a stray bolt. A laser beam grazed his shoulder, making him cry out in pain. With a quick shot, the trooper who had fired was on the ground with the other dead and wounded men. Luke had no time to be satisfied, though; a pipe exploded above his head, sending boiling water raining down on his men. "Take cover!"

The rebels hit the deck, all skin carefully tucked away from the superheated liquid. Still, they continued firing at the troopers, though it was difficult to do in such cramped positions. Again, Luke swore, gritting his teeth. "Captain," a lieutenant spoke up, "there are too many of them. We can't keep on like this."

Nodding, Luke switched on his communicator and hailed to the commander. "This is Captain Skywalker from Corridor C-86! Imperial troops have infiltrated the tunnel; repeat, Imperial troops have infiltrated the tunnel! We need backup ASAP!"

"Negative, Captain. It's time to pull the plug. I'm ordering a base-wide evacuation! Report to Hangar Bay 29! Repeat: report to Hangar Bay 29!"

"Understood, Commander." Switching off him comm., Luke addressed his troops. "Fall back to Hangar Bay 29! This is an evacuation!" Instantly, the soldiers were on their feet, literally darting free of the burst pipe and the stormtroopers. The Imperials continued to fire at the rebel's retreating backs. Several of Luke's soldiers turned and returned fire, thus protecting the back flank. Luke winced at each one that fell.

"_Attention: evacuation has been ordered. Report to hangar bays."_

"No kidding!" he spat at the intercom.

XXX

"_They've called an evac."_

"_All right, then. Medic teams, stand by. They may show up in a few hours; be ready to receive them."_

"_I just hope it'll be enough to see them through."_

"_No worries, Commander Marek. We're doing everything we can."_

"_Why am I not reassured?"_

XXX

"Han!" Luke pushed his way through the crowd of panicked rebels until he was face-to-face with his friend. The brown-haired ex-smuggler ran up to him, arms crossed.

"What's up, kid?" He sounded as nonchalant as ever.

"Where's Leia?" Luke was starting to panic. What if something had happened to her? How would he deal with that?

"Relax, kid, she's safe aboard the _Falcon _with Chewie and those tinnies." He rolled his eyes. "Sheesh. You don't need to go all concerned boyfriend on me, kiddo."

"Just get on that ship and get her out of here!" Luke spat.

Han threw a mock-salute. "Yes sir!"

"Oh, shut up!" The Jedi-in-training glared at the pilot, mouth twisted in a scowl. "I'll be manning a fighter, so don't expect me to get into that bucket of bolts with you, too!"

"Don't talk about my ship that way!"

"_Attention: evacuation has been ordered. Report to hangar bays."_

Frowning, both men turned away from each other and to their respective ships, preparing to take off. Within moments, they, and everyone else at the base, were gone.

XXX

"_Commander Marek! A fleet from Yavin has just arrived! Their base has been compromised!"_

"_Get a relief team ready, and bring them down here, pronto!"_

"_Yes sir!"_

XXX

By the time the fleeing rebels had reached the Hoth system, the men of Echo Base were already aware of their plight. Medics and engineers flooded the docking bays, checking men and equipment alike, and rushing the injured to the medical bays. Amidst the chaos, Luke sat with his head down and his shoulders slumped, utterly exhausted. He didn't want to think; all he desired at that moment was a decent night's sleep. But first, he had to attend to the others.

Vaguely, Luke noticed a dark-haired youth in a commander's uniform approach Leia and begin to interrogate her. "What happened?"

The princess dipped her head respectfully."We were outnumbered, Commander Marek. We couldn't hold out; we had to evacuate Yavin." The commander nodded. "Also, I'd like to thank you for responding to us so quickly."

"It was no problem," Marek replied with a shrug. He then glanced behind her, his gaze falling on Luke. "Hey you! Captain!" Wearily, Luke raised his head to stare at his superior numbly. Unfazed, Marek beckoned the boy over. Begrudgingly, Luke got up and trudged over to him. Crossing his arms, Marek eyed his burned shoulder. "I want you to go to the infirmary and get that shoulder treated."

Luke shook his head. "It's not that bad. There are lots of men with scrapes a lot worse than this. Sir," he added quickly, swallowing.

"That's an _order, _Captain," Marek replied sharply. "Even a small wound can get infected, and we can't afford any soldiers getting sick. So get your kriffin' rear over there!"

"Y-yes sir!" Luke saluted, heading off quickly. Leia frowned.

"Are you sure that you weren't a bit harsh on him? He's _still _pretty new at this, regardless of his rank."

"We need every soldier we can get," Galen said gruffly. "These are dark times, princess. We can't let any effort go to waste. Anyway…" a wry smile stretched on his lips, "you guys picked one heck of a time to show up. General Kota will be coming down soon."

Eyes lighting up, Leia smiled and said, "Really? It's been months since I've seen him! The men'll get a kick out of meeting a real Jedi general. That might just give them the morale boost that they need. And maybe…" her eyes glittered at the idea, "Luke can finish his training, finally." At Marek's quirked eyebrow, Leia blushed and added, "That captain you were just talking to is highly force-sensitive. He started training under Obi-Wan, but… well, you know…"

"I see." Marek nodded. "I might see if I can pull some strings. Then again, I might not. It depends on how things go. First thing's first, though…" He looked at the princess pointedly. "We need to take care of your guys."

And with that, they went their separate ways.

**What do you think? I'm not sure that I captured Luke's personality very well… I'm not used to writing him. Did I do okay? **

**Please review!**


	2. Three Jedi

**A/N: Already finished writing up to chapter 5! :) I am having way too much fun with this story so far…  
Also started replaying TFU 1… it's annoying how hard it is to avoid killing innocents in Kashyyk and Cloud City… and Felucia... and everywhere else too.**

**Updates will come every couple of days on average… though for anyone who's looked at my **_**other **_**multi-chap fics, I can't promise that that will be constant. Writer's block is an evil thing, my friends…**

**Don't worry, this will have more of a plot than just Luke training. It's currently evolving as we speak.**

**Review!**

_Chapter 2: Three Jedi_

When Luke awoke the nest morning, he didn't know where he was. The icy walls and frozen air of Echo Base were unwelcoming and alien to him, things to be dreaded and rejected. So accustomed he had grown to the mild weather and earthen walls of Yavin that when he awoke in Hoth, he felt that something was terribly wrong. For a moment, he forgot about the compromised base, the deaths of his squad men, of the evacuation; he forgot about the movement. All he knew was that this was not the world he remembered, and it took some time for him to come to his senses.

When he finally _did, _he wished that he hadn't. The deaths of his soldiers hit him like a falling starship. _Why didn't I _do _something?! I'm a kriffin' Jedi! I should have saved them! _Self-loathing flooded over the young man in a wave. _Maybe I'm just a wash-out…_

Rubbing his eyes, Luke pushed the covers off of him and swung his legs around so that they were dangling off the side of the bed. Vaguely, he noticed that his uniform had already been laid out neatly on his nightstand, so, getting up, he quickly, _mechanically, _pulled it on. His mind just wouldn't stop wandering back to the casualties. _Could I have done something to save them? Like, hacked away the Stormtroopers with my lightsaber? Blow them away with the Force? Didn't two men _die _because I couldn't use my abilities properly?_

Sighing, Luke hugged himself as he slumped out of his room, shoulders sagging forlornly. He didn't get very far, however, when he sensed that he was being watched. Looking around, his gaze settled on none other than Commander Marek, sitting on a bench near some computer consoles, cleaning his blaster calmly – as if it were normal for him to spy on a Jedi-in-training while scrubbing ash and soot off of a weapon. More than slightly uncomfortable, Luke sat down on a bench across from him and absently rubbed down his own blaster. He could feel the commander's eyes travel to his belt.

"Is that a lightsaber I see?" he asked suddenly. Luke stared at him, shocked.

"Uh… yeah. It is." He frowned in confusion. "Err… how did you know?" His heart rate quickened. "Have you met other Jedi before?"

Still entirely casual, the commander reached to his sides and drew out two blue-bladed lightsabers of his own. "Yeah, you might say that. Anyway…" He sheathed his sabers and carefully tucked them back into his belt, "The princess told me about your training with Kenobi…" Luke winced, "…so I thought that maybe you could see if General Kota would be willing to teach you a few things. He'll be coming by soon, so be ready. It's not every day you get me meet a live Clone Wars veteran."

The captain dipped his head. "Yes sir." Marek nodded dismissively. As Luke turned to go, though, the commander spoke up once again.

"And captain?" Luke turned around. Marek considered him a moment before continuing, "Something to remember; I am not your friend." Luke raised his eyebrows as the commander went on, "but neither am I your enemy. Remember both, and you'll get by alright."

Saluting, the boy nodded. "Yes sir." Then, he turned and headed off, a little too eager to get away from that nerve-wracking commander. His simple _presence _was unnerving, and Luke didn't like that at all. There was something… off about him… like, some dark force was radiating from within – the Dark Side, boiling inside of him, dormant, under check, but there nonetheless. _Powerful, _too – not quite Darth Vader powerful, but almost.

Luke hated the feeling that it gave him. It sent shivers down his spine and twisted his gut in a knot. _Who is this guy? _What _is he? What's going on!?_

XXX

"Troops! Stand at attention!"

At the commander's barked order, the rebel soldiers straightened up and saluted, watching as the newcomer marched between their lines of rank. From their respective spots, Han and Luke eyed him with no small amount of curiosity. So _this _was Jedi master Rahm Kota.

Kota was a tall, stocky man, old, but not hindered by age or wear; he stood as tall and walked as smoothly as any man half his age. His hair was a dull grayish-white, all signs of color long erased, and it was pulled up in a bob on the top of his head. Brown, durable "robes" decked his body, surprisingly intact despite their faded, threadbare appearance. White stubble covered his face, thickest on his chin, where it was basically a short-cut beard. The armor he wore was rusty and dented, and his skin was dark and covered in the trophies of numerous battles. But most distinctive were his eyes; pale, cloudy and lacking pupils.

General Kota was blind.

Without warning, he turned and stopped in front of Han, eyebrows furrowed. "You! Name and rank."

"Captain Han Solo," the ex-smuggler replied lazily, rolling his eyes. Kota's expression hardened.

"Captain Solo, I'd like you to hand over your blaster."

Han scoffed. "Why?"

"That's an _order, _Captain!" Shrugging, Han unclipped it from his belt and handed it over to him. Snatching it out of his hands, Kota examined it, feeling it all over, getting familiar with its weight and design. Then, with no prior warning, the general raised the weapon and shot the helmet off of Han's head.

A stunned silence followed the action. Han stood there, heart hammering and head pounding mercilessly in his ears. Casually, Kota handed him back the blaster, ignoring the man's scandalized expression. He gazed around at the assembled rebels, eyebrows arched challengingly. "A Jedi doesn't need eyes to see," he stated bluntly. "So don't let me catch any over you staring or rolling their eyes at me again. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the men chorused, saluted in their own semi-nervous ways. Luke swallowed. All of the sudden, he felt dead-certain that the commander was trying to get him killed. If Kota would do _that _on so small of a violation, what else would he do? Already, he was terrified of the rebel general, and they hadn't even _spoken _to each other yet.

"At ease, gentlemen," Kota said calmly. Then; "Luke Skywalker, would you step forward please?"

_Oh no… please, no. _Tentatively, Luke moved in front of the rest of the ranks. "Y-yes, General? What is it?"

Kota smirked. "Are you frightened of me, youngling?" Laughter burst from the rebel ranks, which was quickly silenced by a glare from Commander Marek. Luke felt his cheeks heat up at the reactions of his comrades.

"N-no…"

"Good." Kota beckoned to him. "Come with me, then. Also…" he glanced at the others. "Treat your officers with a little more respect, will you? Follow me, youngling." As Luke moved after the general, he glanced back at the other soldiers. Most of them were looking away guiltily, but the captain distinctly saw Wedge give him a thumbs-up and Han make a slashing motion across his throat. Fighting the bile rising up in his throat, he quickly turned his face away.

Before they walked out of the room, Kota beckoned to Marek. "Come with us, boy."

Thankfully, this time, everyone managed to swallow their laughter.

XXX

"So _you're _the new Jedi that Princess Leia told us about." Luke bit his lip as the general assessed him, feeling like a nuna waiting in line for the hatchet. Kota's gaze seemed to burn right into him, seeing into the darkest corners of his soul. Maybe the Jedi did not have the same blackened "aura" that Marek did, but he was by far more intimidating. Decades of experience gave Kota an edge that the commander would probably never have.

Dipping his head, Luke nodded. "Yes sir. That's me."

"Huh." Kota rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I heard Kenobi's the one who headed your training. Impressive." He nodded. "You couldn't ask for a better teacher."

"Thank you, sir," Luke replied humbly.

Kota nodded. "Been training long?"

"No, sir." Luke shook his head. "I only started a few months ago."

Neither Kota nor Marek seemed surprised at the news; in fact, Marek muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "Well, _that _explains things." Luke really hoped that wasn't the case, though – he was humiliated enough as it was. However, when Kota seized Marek by the ear and started giving him a harsh whispered scolding, Luke figured that he probably _had _said that.

Shortly, Kota released a now sullen-looking Commander Marek and turned his attention back to Luke. His blind eyes bored into him. "Were we back in the days of the Old Republic, you'd be too old to start your training, you know." Luke's heart sank, ever so slightly. "However…" He perked up. "Those days are long gone. And we're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to overthrow the Empire." Kota flashed a lopsided grin.

"So…" Luke said hesitantly. "You… you're going to train me?" He wasn't sure whether or not the thought excited him – Kota was frightening… and besides, no one could ever replace Ben…

"No."

Luke blinked. "Then… sorry, sir, but… why even bring it up?"

Kota smirked at Luke secretively, a worrisome twinkle in his sightless eyes. Gesturing to Marek, he stated, "He'll be training you. Meet your new padawan, boy."

XXX

"You have _got _to be kidding me." Commander Galen Marek had spouted out the words the very _second _that Luke was out of the room. Kota raised his eyebrows at his former student, looking amused at his irritation. "I can't train _him! _He doesn't know hardly a _thing _about the Force!"

"Not according to her highness," Kota replied tiredly, leaning back in his chair with a bored look on his face. Galen glowered. Crossing his arms, he glared vibroblades at the general.

"All she said was that he was Force-sensitive. She never said he was competent. And frankly," he scowled even harder, "I've been keeping an eye on him ever since he arrived, and he's not showing very much promise."

Kota's eyebrows practically glued themselves to his hairline as he listened to Galen's protest. "You realize," he said evenly, "that this is the rebel who destroyed the Death Star, don't you?" Galen froze.

"Um… no…" Suddenly, Galen's face was bright pink. "Really?"

"Yes!" Kota stood up quickly, looking completely and utterly exasperated. "Don't you pay attention to _anything, _boy?!" Galen grunted, eyes narrowing as his head lowered in anger. He muttered something mutinous under his breath.

Sighing, he finally raised his caf-colored eyes to look at his master's face in resignation. "Fine. I'll do it." Turning away, he added, "But for the record, I have a bad feeling about this."

**And C2 is *mwah mwah* finite! **

**I am EXTREMELY happy about how this turned out. I love Kota so much… and apparently, I have decided that at least in this, he is a bit of a troll… :I Hmm…**


	3. Planet of Mysteries

**A/N: Yay! School got out early today due to snow! *does a happy dance*. Now I can update my story and **_**still **_**get my homework done on time!**

**Another note; I have noticed as my manuscript progresses, Galen seems to become a tiny bit OOC. So I've decided that that's because it's been at least three or four years since the conclusion of the second game, meaning he's had a little time to change and mature. Over all, though, he's still the same Galen we know :) **

**And Juno and PROXY **_**will **_**show up. You just can't have a TFU fic without them in it.**

_Chapter 3: Planet of Mysteries_

Luke's first thought when he saw the _Rogue Shadow _was _'Oh-frak-what-was-I-thinking-we're-all-going-to-die.' _He'd thought that the _Millennium Falcon _was a junkheap, but compared with Marek's ship, it was a state-of-the-art Star Destroyer. How the _heck _the commander managed to travel in that thing was beyond him.

The pilot – Juno Eclipse, a stern, no-nonsense woman of twenty-four with short golden hair and electric blue eyes – made no comment as Luke lumbered into ship and collapsed in the jumpseat. Indeed, she didn't even seem to realize that he was there at all; her eyes were focused on Marek as he climbed in behind him. Luke watched as the two locked eyes, a silent question being asked. He saw Juno raise an eyebrow and Marek shake his head, and he knew instantly that he had missed something pretty significant.

Finally, Juno seemed to realize that he was sitting there. Tearing her eyes away from the commander at last, she permitted her gaze to bore into Luke. Extremely uncomfortable under her probing eyes, he stared down at his hands. She frowned. "Hullo. Who are you?"

"Luke Skywalker," he answered meekly. "Captain." Juno crossed her arms, waiting for more of an explanation than that. When none came, she lost her patience.

"Well?"

"Kota seems to be under the impression that I'm ready for a padawan." Marek made a face to show his distaste for the idea. Juno snorted.

"Oh?" She sounded amused.

Suddenly furious, Luke stood up rather sharply and glared vibroblades at the pair of them. "I didn't ask for this, you know!" he spat. "Stop treating me like I'm not even here!" Anger flowed hot in his veins, flushing his face and causing sweat to bead on his forehead. With a murderous look at Marek, he added, "No one asked _me _if I wanted you to train me! But it looks like we're stuck together! Live with it!"

Anger spent, Luke sat back down, dreading the commander's reaction. He knew very well that he had just given him cause to court martial him, deny him any training, or even kick him out of the back of the ship. Closing his eyes, the boy bowed his head, awaiting his doom.

To his surprise, Marek simply laughed. "You know what?" he remarked with a smirk. "I like your spirit, kid. You've got spunk; I'll give you that." Luke blinked.

"Uh... come again?"

Juno leaned back in the pilot's seat, examining him with renewed interest. "You might just have what it takes," she remarked thoughtfully. Leaning forward, she extended a hand out to him. "Welcome aboard the _Rogue Shadow, _Captain Skywalker."

XXX

Astromech and protocol droids were familiar to Luke, understandably. R2-D2 was one of his best friends, and C-3PO sort of came along with the package. True, they were older models – but hey, he didn't care. They'd been faithful from day one.

PROXY models were a mystery to him. They were a new type of droid, almost chiefly Imperial, and _rare. _The fact that Marek had one in the back of his ship certainly took him by surprise.

The PROXY was rummaging around a storage compartment in the back, searching for Force-knows-what. Luke could only gawk at him. He was most definitely more high-tech than any droid he'd seen. His body was sleek and polished, joint hardly making a sound as he shifted. His gait was much closer to a normal human's than 3PO's had ever been.

Shaking himself, Luke cleared his throat. PROXY paused, then straightened up and turned around to face him. The captain noted that while his frame was next-generation technology, his face was little different than 3PO's. Sad. "Captain Luke Skywalker," Luke said politely. "I'm... a padawan," he finished hesitantly.

The droid considered him silently. Then the image of his body flickered, and right then Luke realized that PROXY was covered head to toe in holoemitters. The thought only lasted for a moment, though; the next moment, he found himself face-to-face with an exact replica of himself. "Luke Skywalker," the droid said (Luke flinched at the sound of his own voice). "Captain. Decorated pilot from the Battle of Yavin, noted as the rebel who fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star. Born on Tatooine as a moisture farmer near the edge of the Dune Sea, raised by uncle and aunt Owen and Beru Lars. Son of Anakin Skywalker, former Jedi, deceased. Mother unknown." The droid blinked; then the image flickered once more and shut off. "Well," he said in his own cheerful, metallic voice. "You've passed the background check, Captain. Shall we proceed?"

Luke stared at him blankly. "Um... I'm sorry?"

PROXY cocked his head. "Don't you want to know what's on the ship? You're a passenger now, Captain. You should know your way around."

Luke waved at him irritably. "You don't have to call me 'Captain'. Just Luke is fine."

PROXY's face may not have been able to make expressions, but Luke could've _sworn _that it twisted up in confusion. "...as you say, Justluke."

"No! Luke! Call me _Lu-_!"

"Skywalker!" Luke yelped and jumped almost literally three feet in the air. From where he was in the doorway, Marek rolled his eyes. "We're landing on Felucia in fifteen minutes. You two can bond later."

"Yes, master," PROXY said brightly. "I was simply performing Justluke's background check."

Marek raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Performing 'Justluke's' background check. Really. Did he pass?"

"With flying colors, master," the droid said conversationally. Marek gave the droid a fond smile before gesturing to Luke.

"Come on. We're landing."

XXX

Juno Eclipse would go to all nine hells of Corellia and back again for Galen. They'd been through so much together – from Jedi hunting for the Empire to stealth missions for the Rebellion, and she trusted him more than anyone. She wouldn't have stayed with him so long if that weren't the case. However, just because she trusted him didn't mean that she agreed with all of his decisions, all of the time.

"Felucia? Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked him when he relayed his chosen destination. "Remember what happened to Maris, Galen..."

He waved her concerns away. "Things have calmed down there since then, don't worry," he replied. "Besides, Felucia is the most force-rich planet that I know of. It's a perfect place to train a Jedi. And anyway, I'm pretty sure that Luke's stronger than Maris was." Irritatingly enough, he sounded as if he were trying to convince himself of that. "He can stand it."

Juno frowned. She glanced out the viewscreen at the passing stars. "He may be stronger than Maris," she said quietly, "but he's still little more than a child. And you honestly think that he can handle Felucia?"

Galen shrugged. "We're not staying indefinitely. Five hours, tops. How well he handles the force energy is part of how I'm assessing his abilities. But seriously Juno, five hours is not long enough to affect him that badly."

She'd turned away. "I hope you know what you're doing," she muttered.

That had been an hour ago. Now, staring down at the planet itself, she couldn't help but wonder what on _earth _he was thinking. She did not have many fond memories of the place. Mostly, when she thought of Felucia, she remembered Shaak Ti's death and Maris Brood's bout with the dark side... not to mention rescuing a half-dead Bail Organa. She didn't like dwelling on any of these events at all. That Galen was taking his new padawan there for his first lesson made her question what was going on in his head. It was careless, to say the least – downright irresponsible. Of course, that was Galen for you...

"Wow." Juno glanced over at Luke. His eyes were alight with awe as he gazed at the planet below. She couldn't blame him. Felicia was a mess of color – vibrant reds and neon oranges against electric blues and stark violets, all mixed in with a rich forest green. The life signs on the scanners were off the charts – and though she wasn't Force sensitive, she knew that the Force signatures must've been downright overwhelming, even from a distance. No doubt Luke had never seen a planet like that in his entire life. Turning sky blue eyes to Juno, he whispered, "_That's _Felucia? It... it's so..." he trailed off, lost for words. The pilot smiled.

"I had the same reaction the first time I saw it. There aren't many worlds that have the luxury of avoiding Imperial contamination so long. You should have seen Callos before..." She cut herself off abruptly. Luke didn't know that they were ex-imperials, and she'd prefer for it to stay that way. Unfortunately, she hadn't cut herself off quickly enough. The captain was listening hard now.

"Callos? Wasn't that that planet the was bombed to near annihilation by the Empire?" He frowned. "You've been there?"

Juno's throat froze. Luckily, Galen was able to rescue her from an elusive reply. "We did a relief mission there after the bombardment. The place was decimated." He shook his head sadly. "It used to be almost as lush as Felucia until Vader destroyed it." Juno shot him a grateful look. He merely smiled in response.

Luckily, Luke seemed satisfied with that explanation. "Oh." He looked out the viewscreen at the planet once again, suddenly very quiet. "So... if Vader comes..."

"He's already _come,_" Galen said bluntly, eyes narrowed. "The Rebellion has managed to keep the stormtroopers from getting a firm hold, but I have no idea how long it's going to last. Vader's strong, and more so, he's _crafty_." He shook his head. "We can't hold out forever." Juno reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. He sighed and glanced back at her, eyes lost and sad. Out of the corner of her eye, Juno saw Luke raise his eyebrows at the two of them. He leaned forward, once again listening attentively.

"You speak as if you've met him before." He cocked his head. "Have you?"

Galen scowled. "I don't need to explain that to you, _youngling. _You wouldn't understand any of it, anyway."

Luke's face flushed crimson. "You-!"

"Luke!" He froze at the sound of Juno's voice. She certainly didn't sound happy with him – of course she wasn't; her boyfriend and his new padawan were on the verge of a verbal duel to the death, after all. Glaring next at said boyfriend, she added, "Galen. Stop it, both of you. You're acting like children." Both looked like they were about to retort, but she held up a hand, silencing them. "You two are indeed stuck with each other. Maybe you should try making the best of it." She then glanced down at the planet once again – now much nearer than it had been before. It was time for the landing cycle to begin. "Strap in, boys. It's time to go down."

XXX

_Youngling. _Commander Marek had called him a _youngling. _Luke's face was burning with anger and embarrassment. No one (except maybe Han, who badmouthed _everyone_) had ever spoken to him so contemptuously before. He was _not _a child! Marek couldn't be _that _much older than he was. _He _couldn't talk! And Luke was stuck with _this _guy as his teacher? _As soon as get back to Hoth, I'm begging Kota to rethink this. _Besides... that sithlike aura around Marek still hadn't gone away...

With a jolt, the _Rogue Shadow _touched down on the spongy surface of Felucia. "And here we are." Juno turned around in the pilot's chair to face the boys. Behind them, the airlock hissed open, letting in a stream of purplish light. The musty scent of fungus flooded into Luke's nostrils, causing him to gag and cover his nose. Marek, he noticed, did not seem even slightly bothered by the smell – on the contrary, he looked completely and utterly _bored. _Somewhere in the forest of rancor-sized mushrooms, Luke heard a bloodcurdling shriek. Glancing at his companions, he took note of how unfazed they both seemed by the sound, as if they dealt with far worse every day. He couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit jealous.

It was Marek who took the first step out into the alien countryside. He just strode forward nonchalantly, as if he'd done it a thousand times before. Luke scowled. He was _not _going to let this guy show him up. Hurriedly, he darted out after him. Juno didn't follow (which to be honest, Luke wasn't sure if he were upset about). As soon as he stepped off the ship, the plank lifted and clanked shut behind him. Now it was just him, Marek, and the locals. Not a fun combination.

They hadn't wandered far from the ship when Marek stopped abruptly and whirled to face him. Reaching behind his back, he unclipped something from his belt and tossed it to Luke, who deftly caught it. He frowned. "A vibrorod?"

Marek pulled out a second. "Designed specifically to have the weight and feel of a lightsaber. But these are nonlethal," he added. Flipping his into a backwards grip, he stated, "Now... let's see what you know."

Luke stared at him. "Aren't you going to – urk!" He yelped as Marek's rod collided with his chest, sending him flying backwards a few meters. The commander shook his head.

"Were this a real battle, you'd be dead right now." He lunged again; this time, Luke managed to roll out of the way just in time, but when he swung his rod at his opponent, it merely glanced off of the other. Marek was lightning fast. Before Luke could even think, the commander had swung his legs around and rammed his ankles, sending the captain sprawling. The rod snapped mercilessly against the base of his back. "Speed mediocre," Marek remarked.

Mustering all his strength, Luke kicked his teacher hard in the chest and jumped back from him. Marek's rod swung towards his face, but fortunately, Luke managed to block it. A spark of hope flared up in his chest. Sadly, it died the moment that he was hit in the head with a flying mushroom.

He'd forgotten that Marek had telekinesis.

"Strength needs work," the commander reported. Luke snatched his next fungal projectile out of the air and chucked it at him – Marek simply waved it aside. He was grinning. "Reflexes not too bad – could be better. And Force powers..." he shook his head in mock despair. "Atrocious." Luke gritted his teeth, a painful recollection of two dead rebels coming to the front of his brain.

Screaming bloody murder, he hurled his makeshift lightsaber at Marek, who simply grabbed it out of the air with a smug grin. Seconds later, a blast of Force energy knocked Luke onto his back. Smirking unpleasantly, Marek stepped up and stood over him. "And it looks like you've got a bit of a temper too," he chastised. "Deadly weakness in a real duel." Luke scowled, feeling, for lack of a better word, utterly useless. Suddenly, though, the commander's face softened. "Still... can't say that many Jedi _aren't _that way, at first." Smiling, Marek extended a hand out to Luke. The boy hesitated. What was he doing? Beating him black and blue and then smiling and helping him up? No. He was probably going to flip him on his back if Luke accepted the help. Pushing him away, Luke got up on his own.

"So how bad did I fail?" he spat. Marek snorted.

"Fail? Now, I wouldn't say that. 'Fail' would imply that you had had any skill to begin with." Luke glowered. "No, you did better than I thought you would."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he muttered darkly. "Next time, can you actually try _teaching _me something instead of beating me to a pulp?"

"The most efficient lesson is application," Marek said simply. "It's how I learned; it's how _you're _going to learn. Trust me – in comparison to my first master, I'm going easy on you."

"I'd hate to see _your _master, then," Luke threw back. Marek narrowed his eyes. He held up both rods. For a second, Luke was afraid that he was going to strike him with them... but no, he merely gave his back to him with a dismissive grunt.

"Copy my movements with the saber. I'm only demonstrating each once. Then we duel again. Got it?"

"Fine." Luke raised his own vibrorod. This was going to be a _very _long day.

XXX

Watching unseen from the shadows, a cloaked figure concealed himself among the stalks of gigantic mushrooms. He smirked wickedly, golden eyes glowing from beneath his hood. Tapping the comm on his wrist, he stated, "Tell my Master that I've found him. And he has company." He chuckled to himself. "This is going to be fun."

**...And now I've decided that Galen is a troll as well. Great.*facepalm* Why must my characters always write themselves? WHY?!**

**And I bet you can guess who it was that showed up at the end, huh? I'm neither going to confirm or deny your theories. But you're probably right... heh heh heh...**

**Review!**


	4. Thermal Detonators are not Toys

**A/N: Yes, I know that the title's a little weird. This chapter is mostly just for fun. Seriously, when you always write intense, depressing stories, it's nice to have a story where you can put a little humor in ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. It's mostly just pure fluff – a rare thing coming from me. Consider this a treat.**

_Chapter 4: Thermal Detonators are not Toys_

"...his form is sloppy, he has absolutely _no _skills as far as using the Force goes, he's reckless, temperamental, no patience _whatsoever _- !"

"He sounds an awful lot like another certain young Jedi I know," Kota remarked wryly, giving his former apprentice a meaningful look. The old man seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself, tucking his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair as he cheerfully listened to the boy's rants and pacing footsteps. "Minus the first two, of course." Galen scowled.

"Kota, this is _serious._" He abruptly stopped pacing, instead turning to face the general, his face now twisted in a mask of frustration. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with him," he ground out. "Can't you teach him? _You're _the master!" But Kota shook his head.

"I'm old and blind," he replied hoarsely. "I know it doesn't always show – if I do say so myself, I'm doing pretty good for my age." He grinned briefly, before becoming somber again. "But it's true." He wagged his head tiredly. "I can't take on another padawan, boy. That's why I had _you _do it."

"You trained me," Galen protested.

"That was different!" Kota snapped. "I merely taught you the steps you needed to take to draw back from the dark side. You already _knew _everything else. But I'm too old to start teaching somebody from the very beginning." Galen threw up his hands.

"Kota," he said, desperation edging into his voice, "I'm not a teacher."

"Well, sorry, boy," the blind man said savagely. "But in case you haven't noticed, we're somewhat short on Jedi masters to train him. Kenobi was the only one that I knew for a fact was still alive, and you know what? He's not _alive _anymore." He wagged his head. "You're all there is left, boy."

"I can't do it. I _won't _do it."

Kota's eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh, you won't, won't you?" He stood up, and even though Galen was a good inch or two taller than he was, he – quite literally – towered over him. "You don't even know who he _is, _do you?" the general hissed. Galen didn't flinch, though his hands had begun to shake with barely contained anger. "Don't you know _anything _about the name 'Skywalker'? He may not be particularly skilled, but I assure you; the Force is _strong _with that boy. You'd be able to sense it if you actually _tried._"

"I didn't come here for a lecture," Galen snarled.

"Well, that's too bad, boy," Kota spat, "because that's exactly what you're going to get." Galen turned away, face burning with blazing fury. "Don't you turn your back on me, Galen!" the general snapped. His padawan froze.

Kota only ever called him _Galen _when he meant business.

Slowly, the youth turned to face him. Teacher and pupil stood across from one another, sizing each other up. A tense silence stretched between them, broken only by the drip of melting ice somewhere far above their heads. Finally, after force knows how long, Galen found his voice.

"I think he's going to die."

Kota blinked. "What?"

The boy looked down at his hands. "I only ever told Juno about this, but... shortly after we captured Vader on Kamino, I started having visions. I saw Alderaan destroyed, Tatooine ransacked... and I saw Luke." He raised his head, finally daring to look his former teacher in the eye. Kota's face was, like so many other times before, entirely expressionless. "Vader had found him," he said helplessly. "He had him cornered. Luke was badly wounded." Calloused hands clenched into fists. "Vader doesn't spare those he defeats. Luke is going to die."

The elder man was silent for a moment, mulling over Galen's words with a grave expression on his face. "Then I suppose... there's no choice," he murmured. Blind eyes lifted from their gaze on the floor. "You _can't _give up on him boy. If that vision has any _shred _of truth in it, anything you can teach him will probably end up saving his life. If it's his destiny to confront Vader, he needs to be ready." He looked Galen straight in the eye (an impressive feat for a blind man). "If anyone can teach him those skills, it's you."

This time, Galen didn't even bother trying to argue.

XXX

"Come on Luke, he can't have been _that _bad."

The moment that Luke had returned from his training session, he'd made a beeline for the infirmary. He was covered head to toe in bruises from all of the beatings he'd taken, and of course, his body was aching pretty badly. The medics hadn't been too happy to find a twenty-something skulking around with very minor injuries when there was more serious work to be done; nevertheless, they gave him some painkillers and sent him on his way. Sadly, the medicine did nothing to repair his wounded pride – so now the boy was venting his frustrations by railing curses against Marek to Leia. She didn't seem very sympathetic of his position.

"Commander Marek is a very skilled warrior, and a worthy rebel," she declared. "He's not much of a people person, but you couldn't ask for a more dedicated fighter. You should be proud to train under him."

"Proud?" Luke stared at her incredulously. "He's not teaching me _anything!_ He's just beating the druk out of me and then expecting me to know how to fight back! Why would I be _proud _of that?"

When he saw the look on the princess' face, he immediately regretted saying that. A frown was pulling at her mouth, accented by the angry cloud crossing her face. She held up her hand. "Okay. One, watch your language, at least while I'm around. I'd rather not know how many bad habits Han has shaved off on you. Two," she glared at him. "You have no idea how much the commander has suffered and sacrificed for this rebellion. Without him, we wouldn't be sitting here discussing this right now. The Alliance wouldn't even exist. I don't think I've ever met someone more dead-against what the Empire's been doing than he is."

"Then why doesn't he at least _try _to teach me?" Luke grumbled. "Another Jedi in existence could slap the Emperor in the face."

Leia laughed humorlessly. "Oh, Luke, don't you see? That's exactly what he's worried about." Luke stared at her as she continued, "He's afraid that you'll become a target. If there's one thing that Marek doesn't want, it's for his first padawan _ever _to end up getting killed." She smiled sadly. "Vader and his master have taken more from him than they have from most people. He doesn't want you to share his fate."

Luke snorted. "Really." He scoffed and looked away. "So you're telling me to reserve judgment."

"I'm telling you to give him a chance," she replied.

Luke opened his mouth to reply, but at just that moment, Han decided that it would be a good time to walk in. "Hiya, kid," he said casually. "How ya doin', Princess?" He winked at Leia, who merely scowled at him. However, he'd already turned his attention back to Luke. "So, it's good to see you back in one piece." He stretched, yawning widely. "Man, I'm beat. Mind if I sit there?" He pointed at the space between the other two. Before either could reply, whether to confirm or deny the request, he grinned, said "Thanks," and plopped himself down. Leia made a face and scooted away from him. Luke rolled his eyes.

"So, how're the lessons coming?" Han asked in an offhand sort of way. "Your magic getting any better?"

"It's not magic," Luke said through gritted teeth. "It's the Force. Completely natural."

"Riiiiiight." Han took a metallic sphere out of his pocket and examined it. "Sorry. Your _Force magic._" He tossed the ball up into the air and caught it. Vaguely, Luke noticed some type of sketchy band running along its diameter. _Huh? _Han tossed it and caught it again. And again. And again.

"Han, what the _fierfek _are you doing with that?!" Leia spat ("And she yells at me for swearing" Luke thought). She pointed at the sphere with a panicked look on her face. The brunette man grinned smugly.

"I have to use _something _to pass the time." For a moment, Luke was confused. And then he realized just _what _it was that his friend was holding.

"Han, put if back," he warned. "You want to get us all killed?"

"Relax, kid, I've done this thousands of times before," he said, not even a trace of worry in his voice. Catching the ball once more, he held it up like a banner. "I defused it. It's perfectly safe. I think," he added as an afterthought.

"Han, thermal detonators are _not_ toys!" Leia shouted, her voice cracking with fear. "Get rid of it before you end up killing one of us!"

"What is going on in here?" All three froze upon hearing the familiar voice. None other than Luke's least favorite Jedi, Commander Marek, along with General Rahm Kota, were standing in the doorway staring at them. Han's grip tightened on the det, and he swiftly tried to cover it up by hiding it behind his back.

"Nothing, Commander," he said innocently.

Both officers frowned. Then Kota said, "Get up here, Captain Solo." Looking nervous for the first time, Han rose and cautiously approached him. No doubt he was remembering the general firing a blaster at his head. Kota held out a hand. "Give me the det."

"What det?" Han squeaked.

"The one you're hiding behind your back, that's what det!" the general snapped. Staring sulkily at the ground, Han pressed the sphere into the older man's hand. Kota smirked. "Good man. Now, off with you."

Han left without a word. Nodding in satisfaction, Kota turned to Leia and remarked, "Good luck dealing with _that _one in the future." He winked before following Han's example and clearing out. Marek moved to follow as well, but, apparently remembering something, he first paused and turned back to Luke.

"Next training session is tomorrow, Captain Skywalker," he said seriously, a hint of a threat seeming to lurk at the edge of his voice. "You'd better be there. I'm not going to be lenient about you missing your lessons."

And then he was gone.

XXX

Lighthours away, a small Imperial shuttle docked on the base floor of the Star Destroyer _Executor. _As the plank lowered to the ground, a cloaked youth and a graying man in an Imperial pilot's uniform stepped out onto the deck. The youth had an evil smile on his face, while the pilot seemed to be wishing that he were anywhere else in the entire galaxy. Turning to him, the youth stated, "My master does not wish to see you. I shall proceed alone."

The pilot complied all too eagerly. "As you say, Lord Nemesis."

Nemesis smirked at the sound of his name, gold eyes twinkling evilly. Waving his hand carelessly, the boy opened the blast doors on the far side of the room and stepped into the adjacent hall. With a hollow _clunk, _the doors swung shut behind him.

The hall was cold and gray, as impersonal as a prison cell, and silent as empty space. Echoes of the boy's footsteps danced along walls and down corridors, pounding mercilessly against his ear drums. Hollow beeps from mouse or gonk droids – the only animate objects on the entire floor save for himself – could occasionally be heard.

A set of doors opened on the far end of the hall, and Nemesis stepped through them silently, not even twitching as he moved past them. He emerged into a round chamber surrounded on all sides by one enormous viewscreen. Standing in front of it, gazing out at the stars in silent consideration, was a man garbed in black. Mechanical breathing could be heard throughout the entire room. Nemesis knelt down before him respectfully. Finally noticing the child kneeling at his feet, the man turned.

"I have news of Starkiller, my master," Nemesis said, not lifting his had. The figure crossed his arms.

"Report," he said in a deep, commanding voice. "What have you discovered, my apprentice?" Nemesis bowed lower.

"I found him on Felucia with that traitor, Juno Eclipse," the youth replied. "And he has taken on a padawan, my lord. He was training him there." He paused before adding, "I believe that this padawan is the very same rebel who destroyed our Death Star."

The boy's master turning back to the viewscreens. "Find them," he commanded. "And bring them to me. I want to exterminate them personally."

"Yes, my master." Nemesis was almost prostrate now, bowed so low that his face nearly touched the ground. Darth Vader glanced behind him to give the boy a calculating look.

"You are dismissed."

**I'll bet that all of you know who Nemesis is, don't you? Eh?**

**Yes, I know it's obvious to anyone who's played the game and not read the books... **

**This chapter was a nice break from all of the intenseness that I normally write. Like I said, it's uncommon for me to write fluff... I like it! I should write fluff more often. :)**

**Review!**


	5. A Guiding Hand

**A/N: Soooooo… I started playing Knights of the Old Republic recently. So… much… fun. I like Mission… and Carth, heheheh…  
For the record, Nemesis is a merely a name that I chose for that particular character from last chapter. As far as I know, he is never actually given a callsign…  
And about this chapter, I know that only Jedi are supposed to be able to form Force Ghosts, but… to heck with it. I couldn't resist. You'll see what I'm talking about soon enough.**

_Chapter 5: A Guiding Hand_

The first time that Luke saw Felucia, his breath had been taken away. It was a wild planet, as free as could be and thrumming with the Force. It had not yet been choked by the Emperor's grasp – not yet overcome or tainted by Imperial troops. It was so beautiful.

However, this time, his heart sank into his toes. The bruises from his last training session were still there, and still aching, despite his efforts to soothe them. He was tired of Felucia – never, _ever _wanted to see it again for as long as he lived. Yet here he was… once again. Brilliant.

Juno and Commander Marek were convening in hushed tones on the other side of the cockpit. Luke didn't fail to notice how they kept glancing at him nervously. He wanted to scream. Couldn't they just leave him alone for _five _standard minutes? If he was going to get his bones broken or his face ripped off today, then they could at _least _have enough courtesy not to consistently point it out to him – verbally or no.

Shortly, Juno moved to the pilot's chair and took the controls, bringing the _Rogue Shadow _down into the landing cycle. Marek, meanwhile, moved over to stand beside Luke. Luke frowned and turned away, wondering why the _heck _he had chosen to hover over him when he could be busy going all googly-eyed over his pilot. If Marek noticed his annoyance, he did not show it. Maybe he simply didn't care. Whatever the reason, Luke could easily sense the commander's caf-colored eyes boring into the back of his head. He shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable.

"Things are going a little differently today," Marek informed him. Luke raised his eyebrows. Without even blinking in response, the older man went on, "Last time was just an assessment. Now that I know what a long way you have to go," (Luke glared at him), "…the real training can begin."

The _Rogue Shadow _landed. Luke and Marek exited the ship and headed off into the jungle, just as before. But instead of stopping in the nearest clearing like last time, the commander kept on walking, weaving between mushrooms with a wild sort of grace while Luke stumbled to keep up. With every step, the man led his pupil deeper and deeper into the wilderness. Soon, the _Rogue Shadow _wasn't even in sight anymore. A rush of fear flushed through Luke's system. They were completely cut off.

Abruptly, Marek stopped and turned to face Luke, an odd expression on his face. "This is where you come in," he declared. "Lead me to our destination."

Luke stared at him, shocked. "You have _got _to be kidding me," he almost shouted. "I don't even know where we're going! How can I lead you there?" He shook his head. "No. It's impossible."

Marek drew up to his full height, cutting a menacing figure in the half-light of the fungus-filled jungle. "I – no, my father once altered the path of a crashing Star Destroyer using only the Force and his right index finger. Don't tell me it's impossible. It's only impossible if you let it be." Marek narrowed his eyes. "This is the most vital skill a Jedi can know; Force Sight. It's the reason that Kota can still fight even though he's been blind for years. You don't need eyes to see with the Force. Size, space, mass, distance… it's all an illusion." He spread his hands. "The Force is in everything. If it has limits, I've yet to find them."

That speech caused something within Luke's brain to click. A memory washed over him in a wave.

"_With the visor down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?"_

"_You must use your feelings; your eyes can deceive you."_

"Ben…" he whispered sadly. Then he was aware, again, of Marek, still watching him intently. New determination overtaking him, he raised his head and looked the commander in the eye. "All right. I'll try. But I can't make any promises that I'll be able to get us there." Marek smirked.

"Then by all means," he said sarcastically, gesturing to the path ahead of them and mock bowing. "Lead the way."

Bowing his head, Luke squeezed his eyes shut, trying his hardest to relax. He tried to tap into those instincts he'd used back then, but it was so much harder, he realized, without Ben walking him through it. Even on the Death Star, rushing towards the pipe, he'd been there. But he wasn't now. Luke really was on his own.

_You're never alone, Luke. Release your fear. _The boy started. That voice… whose was it? Not Ben's voice – this one was feminine, and besides, he had his voice ingrained into his brain – yet there was something – familiar about it. Something… calming and gentle, so soothing to him, so… so loving and _real. _The voice reminded him a little bit of Leia – and in some ways, Ben as well._ Luke… don't be afraid, _the woman said. _It'll be okay. Look. _Luke opened his eyes.

He wasn't on Felucia any longer – instead, he was in a lavish room on some other planet with windows covering the far wall, revealing lush green forests right outside. Standing across from him with a radiant smile on her face was a human woman. Her hair was dark brown, and fell across her shoulders to gracefully spill halfway down her back. Deep brown eyes twinkled at him, bright with happiness, so much like her smile. Garbed in white as she was, she almost looked like an angel. She looked very much like Leia… Luke was immediately put at ease – her mere _presence _calmed him, and the helplessness he'd felt melted away. When she held out her arms, by some strange instinct, he could not stop himself from running into them.

"Oh, Luke," the woman said warmly. She held him tightly, the way that a mother would hold her son. "I always hoped that this day would come." Smiling, she pulled back and held him at arm's length, examining him from her to foot. "Look at you. You're all grown up."

"Who are you?" Luke asked quietly.

Instead of answering, she said, "Obi-Wan told me that I would be able to see you again someday. I never dreamed that it would actually happen."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled again. "You have taken your first step towards becoming a Jedi, Luke. You've connected with the essence of the Force." She placed a hand on the side of his face. "I'm so proud of you."

"But… who are you?" Luke asked again. "I feel like… I've met you somewhere before, but… I can't think where."

All she did was smile and pat his cheek lovingly. Then the scene around him faded away.

He was back on Felucia. Marek was standing beside him, waiting expectantly for his choice. And Luke saw the shimmering form of the woman standing nearby between two golden-colored mushrooms. Raising a shaking finger, he pointed at her. "That way." Marek raised his eyebrows. Apparently, he could not see her.

"You sure?" he questioned.

Luke gazed at the woman, seeing her smile and beckon to him with one hand. He steeled his resolve. "Absolutely."

Marek shrugged. "Lead on, Captain."

XXX

Galen had never seen Luke run so fast. He had taken a long time to make his decision, but now that his mind was made up, he was moving along his course as if he had the entire Empire chasing him. The commander was impressed. He, of course, could sense the presence Luke was following, but it was faint, like a non-Jedi imprint. Yet Luke followed it as certainly as if he could see it. Either he was very skilled… or extremely reckless.

He and Luke emerged into a somewhat clear area, with only a few huge mushrooms dotting here and there. Large rock formations jutted up from the ground like enormous stone monuments. Sprawled out across the ground, Galen noticed, were the skeletons of several rancors. One of them was so big, it had to be a bull. Other remains of various species, both Felucian and otherwise, littered the earth around it.

Maybe it had been _forever _since he – or was it his father? – had been here, but Galen would never forget this place. Memories washed over him mercilessly, sending him staggering back a few paces. Why _here, _of all places?

"_Stand aside, girl. Don't make me hurt you."_

"_Oh, you won't. He won't let you."_

"_I give up, the senator is yours! There's no need to kill me now!"_

"_You are a servant of the Dark Side! I'd be doing the galaxy a favor!"_

"_It's not my fault! Shaak Ti abandoned me in this place! Just… let me get out of here, and I'll turn my back on the Dark Side. I promise."_

"_That one reminds me too much of another young Jedi who turned to the Dark Side. You shouldn't have let her go free."_

"_Will she really be free? She'll carry the memories of what she did here forever."_

"The trail stops here," Luke announced, breaking Galen out of his grim recollections. Glancing at him, he noticed that the boy was watching him expectantly. "Is it right?" He sounded a little worried, but not excessively so.

Of course, it _was _the right place. Galen could sense that much – he knew that there was no mistake. This was indeed where they were supposed to be. But he figured that it couldn't hurt to test Luke a little bit more, to see how strong his connection really was. "Why'd you pick this spot?" he queried, watching the captain's face. Panic overtook Luke's expression.

"It's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"I never said that," Galen replied simply. "I just want to know what form the presence you followed took. It's different for everyone." He paused before adding, "For example, I see shades of light and dark that show me the way I have to follow. They also help me sense other living beings in the area."

Luke still didn't seem reassured. "I saw a woman…" he said haltingly. "She led me through the jungle."

"So you saw a Force Ghost," Galen translated. "Okay." At the boy's confused expression, he explained, "Basically, you saw the imprint of a deceased person through the Force. Probably the ghost of somebody close to you," he added as an afterthought.

"But I'd never seen her before!" Luke protested. Galen shrugged.

"Either way, you passed. So let's get to work. This place is flooded with Dark Force energy, so we should finish up quick."

Luke paled. "Noted."

And so they began.

XXX

As Galen had previously noticed, Luke had very little ability in the way of using the Force. First off, the boy didn't have strong enough focus the really exceed at it – he'd strain for maybe fifteen seconds and then break off, complaining that it was too hard. The most he'd moved an object was a tiny pebble, which hovered an inch above the ground for five seconds before falling to the ground unceremoniously with a _clunk. _His first display of Force Sight had been good, but he seemed to be unable to repeat it afterward.

He did do well in one area, though – he didn't have a lot of trouble fighting blind. Galen could only assume that Kenobi had already taught him that skill, since it seemed to be the only thing he was even _remotely _good at. It explained how he'd been able to destroy the Death Star – he'd used the Force to find the best point to fire his torpedo and exploited the weakness. The kid wasn't terrible at everything, at least – though in most areas, he was still pretty clumsy.

"No, no, no!" Galen shouted, waving his hands in exasperation as Luke fell on his face while trying to perform a Force Grip. "You're supposed to keep your weight balanced in the center! That way you won't keel over!" He gestured to Luke's prostrated form. "Center yourself!"

"I'm _trying!_" Luke spat, eyes flashing. "You aren't explaining what to do well enough! I can't just _copy _you!"

The tension in the air was as thick as butter. Both master and pupil glared daggers at one another, caf and ice-colored eyes locked challengingly. Sparks of anger almost literally flew through the air. And then it occurred to Galen just how _stupid _he was for taking Luke to a Dark Force planet for training. He was having trouble keeping his anger in check – and looking at Luke, he could see that his apprentice fared no better. He should have listened to Juno.

He sighed. "C'mon, that's enough for today. Let's head back." Luke froze, a look of confusion creasing his features. Anger flared again. "So get going!" Looking down, Luke clenched his hands and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. Galen shook his head. "I'll lead the way back this time." He was unable to keep the insult out of his voice that time. Luke's eyes narrowed.

They didn't speak a word to each other the whole way back.

**So… that took two days to type up *facepalm*. Kriff. Too bad. Please review, pretty, pretty please? **


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